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Speaker 1: Welcome to a special edition of The Drive here on

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Speaker 1: Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy. I am Dale Lolly.

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Speaker 1: He is Matt Williams, and we are live from the

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Speaker 1: Steelers Ota Session number six, number six, all the up

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Speaker 1: mc rooney Sports Complex, and the the action is hot

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Speaker 1: and heavy on the field, the the again, the weather,

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Speaker 1: everything really really positive. Yeah, I mean experien we've had.

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Speaker 1: We've had instances when we've been out here in the

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Speaker 1: past where like we had that we didn't bring enough clothes.

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Speaker 2: Oh yeah, if you do us telling that the other

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Speaker 2: day that I mean, there's been wet, rainy days, of course, windy.

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Speaker 2: I remember it was a couple of years ago. I

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Speaker 2: had some buddies next door. I went run in. I'm like,

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Speaker 2: can we borrow a sweatshirt? I'm over shivering at that sweatshirt.

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Speaker 2: I think, Yeah, they were nice. Keep him. But yeah,

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Speaker 2: and it's not crazy hot either, you know.

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Speaker 1: It is not. And again no uh no inclement weather, rain, thundershout.

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Speaker 1: I can remember being out here with one Craig Wolfley

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Speaker 1: and the lightning and thunder rolling in it is kryptodite

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Speaker 1: and watching the sky and like we're gonna go inside

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Speaker 1: like we're under an awning here. No, no, you don't understand.

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Speaker 1: We gotta go inside. This is kryptidite. Yeah, we do

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Speaker 1: have CJ. Wolfley sitting here next to us. Hopefully he

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Speaker 1: is not the lightning beacon, the lightning rod. Yeah, but if.

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Speaker 2: You're sitting next to wolf I mean, chances are flighting.

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Speaker 1: You're it's gonna be him.

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Speaker 2: You don't have to be faster than the bear. You

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Speaker 2: just have to be faster than your buddy that the

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Speaker 2: bear is chasing, you know what I mean?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so who don't know? I believe it's three members

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Speaker 1: of the Wolfly family have been hit by lightning. Is

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Speaker 1: that cjs A two or three? Just two or three?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's more than the Williamson's or Lawley's

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Speaker 2: I think, yeah. But they're big targets.

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Speaker 1: They are big targets with great big domes.

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Speaker 2: Right right, A lot a lot of surface area there

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Speaker 2: to hit.

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Speaker 1: It's a planet theory.

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Speaker 2: You mentioned yesterday how many new new bodies are on

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Speaker 2: the Steeler roster that are maybe even upgrades. You know,

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Speaker 2: we just let them know. This is how the weather

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Speaker 2: is in Pittsburgh all.

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Speaker 1: All the time. You're right, somebody earlier this week we're

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Speaker 1: talking about you know, this whole thing, and I'm like,

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Speaker 1: these these new guys are like if you haven't been

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Speaker 1: to Pittsburgh before, and it's just like, Oh, Pittsburgh's great.

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Speaker 2: What's wrong with the weather here? Who complains about this?

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Speaker 2: You know, sandyeg something?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, this is like southern California. Absolutely, it's like this

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Speaker 1: every day. But yeah, it's been nice. We haven't had

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Speaker 1: much rain. The rain we have had is not interfere

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Speaker 1: with practice at all. And the Steelers are getting another

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Speaker 1: one in here number six.

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Speaker 2: A lot of guys working hard too. Yeah, And I

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Speaker 2: wish I could tell people more of what I've seen,

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Speaker 2: but I will say it's positive. I'm impressed with what's

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Speaker 2: been going on in front of us the last now

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Speaker 2: six practices.

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Speaker 1: This would put us halfway through not just O t

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Speaker 1: A sessions, but then the entire off season on field program.

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Speaker 1: Oh okay, six, I have six practices that were six

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Speaker 1: practices in. There'll be twelve total including the yeah mandatory

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Speaker 1: mini camp.

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Speaker 2: Okay, so we're halfway. We're halfway there. I was thinking

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Speaker 2: we were two thirds away done with ot as, but

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Speaker 2: the way you put it makes more sense.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So and about guessing about ninety five days away

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Speaker 2: from opening day right around there. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so that's a good time. We are now within

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Speaker 1: within reach of everything. Matt. We were talking yesterday, we

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Speaker 1: were we did some power rankings of the AFC, a

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Speaker 1: f C. Yeah, and I wanted to take a look

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Speaker 1: at well, now I can't this it was on here.

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Speaker 2: Please don't tell me we have technical difficulty. No, we're good.

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Speaker 1: Good. Uh So there's a thing here. We were talking

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Speaker 1: about teams that have improved, and where's this thing at here?

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Speaker 2: While you look for it?

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Speaker 1: I mean I always here.

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Speaker 2: I always tell people this. Of course, every team should

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Speaker 2: be improved more or less. You know in may you know,

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Speaker 2: I mean you just about your draft. I mean, so

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Speaker 2: it is the eternal optimism time of the of the

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Speaker 2: everybody's the season. Everybody's great, and everyone's gonna return perfect

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Speaker 2: from injuries. No one's gonna get older and lose a step.

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Speaker 2: You know, all your draft picks are gonna hit. They're

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Speaker 2: all going in the Hall of Fame. Yeah, but some

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Speaker 2: look better than others in terms of what teams have improved.

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Speaker 1: So Marcus Sessler on our NFL dot Com did a

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Speaker 1: thing where he put out his top his ten most

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Speaker 1: improved rosters, ten rosters on the rise this office.

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Speaker 2: Okay, okay, his.

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Speaker 1: First one on there is the Jets. For obvious reasons.

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Speaker 1: They went out and got a quarterback.

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Speaker 2: I mean they were a bottom five quarterback situation that

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Speaker 2: might be kind last year. And now you're top finish,

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Speaker 2: you know, right at the most important position. So that's enough.

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Speaker 1: Does Aaron Rodgers still have it?

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Speaker 2: I don't know, but I was so I was.

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Speaker 1: I did some research stuff last night. I couldn't believe

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Speaker 1: last year the Packers in the Bucks both won eight

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Speaker 1: games last year.

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Speaker 2: That is a little mind boggling with Brady and Brady

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Speaker 2: and Rodgers and pretty easy divisions too.

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Speaker 1: Yeah right, and it's not like they were, you know,

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Speaker 1: yeah eight games. I'll be Steelers won more games than

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Speaker 1: those two teams.

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Speaker 2: I think Rogers needs to be motivated. Last year, he

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Speaker 2: looked very disinterested, like he wanted out the year before

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Speaker 2: and was kind of going through the motions. And the

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Speaker 2: last time that happened, Green Bay uses a first round

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Speaker 2: pick on Jordan Love and then he went back to

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Speaker 2: back MVPs.

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Speaker 1: You know, he's older now, but does he still have

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Speaker 1: that He's thirty nine I think.

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Speaker 2: At least one more year to show the world and

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Speaker 2: give everybody the finger, you know what I mean in

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Speaker 2: New York. Maybe not after this year, but he can still.

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Speaker 2: Here's a rare talent.

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Speaker 1: Here's something that I don't know. You're going from Green

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Speaker 1: Bay right, which, let's face it is not the media capitol,

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Speaker 1: mecha capital world right to New York where you are here.

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Speaker 1: We are the highest profile football player in the city

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Speaker 1: of New York.

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Speaker 2: Yes, and everybody sometime yeah, I mean on Joe NAMA's birthday,

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Speaker 2: he might be the next and biggest one since right

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Speaker 2: in the last fifty years or whatever.

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Speaker 1: And how Aaron Rodgers handles that part of this is

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Speaker 1: going to be interesting, very and.

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Speaker 2: I mean sound old. But these guys nowadays, it's not

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Speaker 2: like he's a twenty year old. I mean, they have

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Speaker 2: brands and you know, yeah, yeah, they want to be

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Speaker 2: in big markets and life after football and all those things.

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Speaker 2: But it's going to be a lot different. I mean,

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Speaker 2: you can speak.

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Speaker 1: We're talking about a guy who went to a fortress

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Speaker 1: of solitude basically right right right, you know, to decide

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Speaker 1: whether he wanted to play again this year. Yeah, but

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Speaker 1: at least he's not you're not going to have any

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Speaker 1: solitude in New York.

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Speaker 2: It sounds like there's less mushrooms and psychedelics this offseason

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Speaker 2: than last year, which is probably good for football. I

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Speaker 2: didn't think that was the best training regiment around a

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Speaker 2: year ago. I don't doubt him, to be honest with you.

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Speaker 2: I think he's going to come back invigorated for a year.

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Speaker 2: But there are extenuating circumstances. I mean, who's sitting there

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Speaker 2: with you know, microphones around his locker and newspapers I

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Speaker 2: again sound old, Yeah, you know the articles that will

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Speaker 2: be written about on the between night and day.

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Speaker 1: Did he did he have to deal with like when

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Speaker 1: he went out in Green Bay? Did he have to

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Speaker 1: worry about seventeen photographers driving around following him?

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Speaker 2: Right? And going out in Green Bay, in quotes, is

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Speaker 2: a lot different than going out in New York. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: So the next team on the list here is the

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Speaker 1: Cleveland Browns.

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Speaker 2: Despite not a lot of draft picks. I mean, I

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Speaker 2: think they did a good job addressing areas of need,

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Speaker 2: you know, defensive line, and I think it's pretty clear

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Speaker 2: they're going to throw the ball more, you know what

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Speaker 2: I mean. And you go out and you get to

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Speaker 2: Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman, and they don't sound like

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Speaker 2: massive additions, but they're Watson friendly. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Well, the other thing he mention is that, you know, Cleveland,

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Speaker 1: the middle of Cleveland's defensive line is no longer an

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Speaker 1: open barn door after went and got Dalvin Tomlinson and

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Speaker 1: drafted uh Kaka. Well here's the thing though, Eco was

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Speaker 1: what a fourth round draft pick?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know that Eca moves a needle.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm not gonna I'm gonna. Oh, You're gonna throw

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Speaker 1: a fourth round draft pick into the middle of your

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Speaker 1: defense and it's gonna fix things. Yeah, I don't know

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Speaker 1: about that. See.

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Speaker 2: I like the Tomlinson addition on the field. I mean,

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Speaker 2: I think it was a little bit an overpay, but

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Speaker 2: I really like the Aroncrow. I kill his name. I'm sorry.

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Speaker 2: He's the Houston edge guy Maguire who they drafted. And

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Speaker 2: then you mix that with Zadarius Smith. Your defensive front

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Speaker 2: looks a lot better now, it looks.

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Speaker 1: Better than it was. I just I don't know that

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Speaker 1: it's like suddenly a I mean, if I'm looking at

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Speaker 1: defensive interior lines, No.

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Speaker 2: I don't think it's an upper echelone.

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Speaker 1: I think it's right.

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Speaker 2: It's now the worst than the ECA hits.

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Speaker 1: Your defensive interior of your line is sixteenth in the

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Speaker 1: league as opposed to last.

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Speaker 2: Year, where it might have been thirty two last year.

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Speaker 1: Last year was like twenty eight to thirty two.

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Speaker 2: Which is kind of like the Jets conversation. Yeah, I mean,

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Speaker 2: if you can go from awful to average, let alone

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Speaker 2: maybe awful to good, that's a big jump. And I

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Speaker 2: don't think the ECA thing moves the needle a ton.

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Speaker 2: But because their linebackers are so small, he's close. But

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Speaker 2: because of the way their linebackers play that they really

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Speaker 2: need protected. He may be a little more valuable to

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Speaker 2: them than Joe average, but he's.

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Speaker 1: Not gonna be out there in passing.

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Speaker 2: No, no, no, he'll play twenty five snaps of game

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Speaker 2: if he's a hit. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Uh. The Ravens and Bengals get mentioned on there, but

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Speaker 1: they don't get any write ups for what they did.

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Speaker 1: I don't know how the Ravens receivers, Okay, I'm sure that.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I can't look. I'm sorry, I know, I

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Speaker 1: know you've you've been a Odell guy for a long time.

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Speaker 1: I can't get on that bandwagon.

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Speaker 2: I'm also as a Flowers guy though too, and we

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Speaker 2: both liked him a lot. I'm still a Bateman guy.

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Speaker 2: I think it's another instance though, of was that the

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Speaker 2: worst receiving corps in the league? Can they get to eighteenth?

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Speaker 2: I don't know if his worst, it's pretty bad.

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Speaker 1: I mean talked about the AFC South last year.

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Speaker 2: There's some bad ones so on there. Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 2: Titans come to mind.

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Speaker 1: The Bengals got to mention here as well, and then

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Speaker 1: he gets to the Steelers. Okay, the Steelers actually got

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Speaker 1: one of the right ups. So the entire AFC.

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Speaker 2: North, Yeah, real quick on the Bengals, just Orlando Brown

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Speaker 2: alone has a ripple effect of now Williams got But

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Speaker 2: that's about it though.

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Speaker 1: Right, That's really all they added to the mix. Did

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Speaker 1: you see what Tyler Boyd said?

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Speaker 2: By the way he I don't know if I were him,

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Speaker 2: I would be nervous about my job.

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Speaker 1: Right he sees me. You know, if i'd have played

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Speaker 1: last year against the Chiefs we blow them out.

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Speaker 2: You know, did he miss that game? I don't remember,

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Speaker 2: I guess. I mean he doesn't move the needle enough

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Speaker 2: for me anymore to know. One way or another. I

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Speaker 2: don't know there'll be a Bengal next year. I don't

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Speaker 2: think he will be either, right, right, if you're gonna

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Speaker 2: be paying Higgins and Chase and ye know.

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Speaker 1: But the Steelers, uh well, he kind of broke all

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Speaker 1: three of those teams down into one. Paragrapher's said. Unfortunately

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Speaker 1: for the Browns, each of their division rivals make Gains too.

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Speaker 1: Long known for their rough and tumble defense, this year's

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Speaker 1: Raven squad arrives as an amped up offering on offense

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Speaker 1: thanks to the additions of Odell Beckham and rookies A Flowers.

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Speaker 1: With the contractual drama in the rearview mirror. Lamar Jackson,

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Speaker 1: armed with a new play caller in Todd Monkin, has

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Speaker 1: plenty of weapons. In the post greg Roman universe. Throwing

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Speaker 1: for six thousand yards is lunacy nothing, Yeah right, that's

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Speaker 1: what happens. But there's no excuse for Lamar not to shine.

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Speaker 1: That's what he says about the Ravens. Regarding the Steelers,

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Speaker 1: I viewed the Steelers the rough and tumble defense thing.

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Speaker 2: They are not constant, yeah, they.

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Speaker 1: Are not that. I viewed the Steelers as an under

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Speaker 1: the radar heavy in the AFC. They found Kenny Pickett's

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Speaker 1: new left tackle in first round of Broderick Jones out

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Speaker 1: of Georgia. I don't know if that happens right away.

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Speaker 1: That's me adding that Pittsburgh hadn't snatched a first round

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Speaker 1: bookend since Jermaine Stevens in nineteen ninety six. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: adore the Steelers grabbing cover man Joey Porter Jr. With

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Speaker 1: their next pick. The son of franchise starter, of a

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Speaker 1: franchise fire starter. Porter belonged in Pittsburgh and pairs nicely

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Speaker 1: with free agent pick up Patrick Peterson, was we talked

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Speaker 1: about yesterday. I don't know if that's necessarily going to

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Speaker 1: be the pairing right away.

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Speaker 2: Who knows, right, we'll see.

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Speaker 1: I like where they're sitting right deposition again.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, depth depth depth, Yeah, exactly.

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Speaker 1: Depth depth depth doesn't mention any of the free agent

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Speaker 1: signings that they make.

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Speaker 2: As I say, is I mean to me, of all

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Speaker 2: the additions, Isaac Selam always the one is probably gonna

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Speaker 2: make the most instant impact.

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Speaker 1: Well on the two inside linebackers and Peterson, and I

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Speaker 1: mean there's yeah, there's guys who are who are gonna

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Speaker 1: be starters that.

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Speaker 2: It's coady to focus on the draft because the Steelers

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Speaker 2: did end up with a lot of names that were

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Speaker 2: in DJ's top fifty and people knew, you know. But

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Speaker 2: I think the free agent editions are going to pay

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Speaker 2: off more this year.

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Speaker 1: He said. The loaded Bengals roll into camp with the

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Speaker 1: flock of familiar faces on offense. They were tasked with

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Speaker 1: a few to does fewer to do is, but pulled

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Speaker 1: off a coup in landing Orlando Browns Junior to take

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Speaker 1: over Joe Burrow's blindside protector. Cincinnati still stares through a

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Speaker 1: Super Bowl window. I agree with that.

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Speaker 2: I did too, and I approve of the Orlando brown

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Speaker 2: move for a Super Bowl window.

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Speaker 1: But the reason why Kansas City got exactly exactly.

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Speaker 2: But I think he's an overrated player and could be

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Speaker 2: a cap cut two years am. Now, yeah, I mean

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Speaker 2: I just think that's who he is. But he could

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Speaker 2: help them win the sup Bowl.

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Speaker 1: Has there been an average NFL tackle that's made as

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Speaker 1: much money in a short amount of time as Orlando

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Speaker 1: I mean, he's.

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Speaker 2: Had some franchise tags, trades for demands. I mean, he

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Speaker 2: really benefited from Stanley's injury. Oh yeah, I mean he's

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Speaker 2: a right tackle and there's I want to play a

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Speaker 2: left tackle.

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Speaker 1: So the opportunity right right right, Baltimore probably would have

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Speaker 1: been better serve keeping him in trading. Ronnie Stantall said, yeah, right,

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Speaker 1: which you couldn't trade. I got him cheaper and you know, right,

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Speaker 1: the next team on the list are the Detroit Lions.

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Speaker 2: I get it.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I think people are a little too

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Speaker 1: excited about the Lions to get it. I ran some

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Speaker 1: numbers on that too. By the way, uh, Houston Texans,

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Speaker 1: the Indianapolis Colts make the list.

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Speaker 2: You get a new quarterback and Colts didn't do much

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Speaker 2: else though.

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Speaker 1: No, the bear on this list, sure, I mean they

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Speaker 1: had nowhere to go, but.

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Speaker 2: Up nowhere to go up that the most caps based

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Speaker 2: in the league, you know, I mean the fields now

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Speaker 2: has a nest. I mean he's not a bad spot

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Speaker 2: right now.

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Speaker 1: And then the final team is the Atlanta Falcons.

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Speaker 2: Agree with that, Yeah, I mean some instant impact guys

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Speaker 2: Kalais Campbell, Bejon Robinson, Jesse Bates.

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Speaker 1: You know E've been going to getting Jeff Akudah, Yeah, exactly.

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Speaker 2: Detroit gave up on him, some of those dudes, I

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Speaker 2: mean to get nothing for him, and it's not massive

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Speaker 2: cap savings.

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Speaker 1: I mean they gave up on Swift too. Yeah, I mean,

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Speaker 1: like you hated that much. I get that you didn't

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Speaker 1: draft the guys, right, you.

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Speaker 2: Know, but and I'm a big culture believer, don't get

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Speaker 2: me wrong. I mean they're terrible human beings and locker

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Speaker 2: rooms or whatever. Fine, but no, don't draft him that. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: You know, somebody in the organization who is still there, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: had to sign off in that, whether it be ownership,

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Speaker 1: a team president. Oh yeah, draft that guy.

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Speaker 2: And when Acuda went in the top five, nobodynked b

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Speaker 2: Linked and I or Swift in the second round. He

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Speaker 2: could have been the first draft back taking that year.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, So you know, I I don't I don't know.

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Speaker 1: So I did some research, as I mentioned yesterday.

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Speaker 2: I gotta see if did I some Lions research.

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Speaker 1: I did a little bit of Lions and Steelers research.

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Speaker 2: Ah, we compared them before. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, So the Lions went eight and two in their

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Speaker 1: final ten games last.

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Speaker 2: Year, two of the hottest teams in the league in

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Speaker 2: the second half.

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Speaker 1: They were the two hottest teams out they were, I

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Speaker 1: mean they were.

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Speaker 2: That's why you texted me about second half of the

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Speaker 2: year stuff.

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Speaker 1: Okay, so I had to actually run these numbers myself,

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Speaker 1: so you couldn't find them.

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Speaker 2: I didn't work hard either.

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Speaker 1: So the Lions went eight and two in their final

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Speaker 1: ten games. They averaged twenty eight points per game, which

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Speaker 1: is good, especially in last year's NFL.

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Speaker 2: I said, that's really good. I mean, one of the best.

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Speaker 1: They allowed twenty point eight points per game. Offensively, they

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Speaker 1: averaged three hundred and sixty nine point six yards per

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Speaker 1: game rushing, they were one hundred and twenty two point

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Speaker 1: three yards per game, only four turnovers.

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Speaker 2: Wow. I didn't realize that's how you do that. That's huge. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Defensively, they gave up three hundred and seventy two point

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Speaker 1: one yards per game, so actually more yardage per game

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Speaker 1: than they than they had. Yeah, so they were negative

359
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Speaker 1: and yard different. But here's the difference. Sixteen forced turnovers

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Speaker 1: they were plus wow. They were plus twelve.

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Speaker 2: Wow. It's a hard thing to bank on. But good

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Speaker 2: for them, you know. I mean that's and that's not

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Speaker 2: a really talented defense. I mean the Steelers defense. Everyone

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Speaker 2: would rather have them lie. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: So the Steelers in their final nine games went seven

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Speaker 1: and two, yea average twenty point nine points per game. Okay,

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Speaker 1: but they allowed sixteen point six and that was with

368
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Speaker 1: a thirty seven point game by the Bengals mixed in there,

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Speaker 1: So I mean it was their defensive stretch was as

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Speaker 1: good as any they were last four or so.

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Speaker 2: Per game in point differential.

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Speaker 1: They averaged three hundred and forty three point six yards

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Speaker 1: per game, so only sixteen yards fewer per game, and no.

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Speaker 2: One on the Steelers offense was as good as the

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Speaker 2: Lions in Week fifteen.

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Speaker 1: And remember as well, the Steelers are playing outdoors. The

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Speaker 1: Lions are playing all their games basically indoors. Yeah, late

378
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Speaker 1: in the season, you're you're not going outdoors to you know,

379
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Speaker 1: you're not playing in sub zero weather against the Raiders.

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Speaker 2: I mean maybe they were in Green Bay or Chicago

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Speaker 2: for one of them.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Maybe.

384
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Speaker 1: Steelers average one hundred and forty six point two yards

385
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Speaker 1: rushing per game compared to twenty four more yards per

386
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Speaker 1: game than the Lions. Only five turnovers in those nine games,

387
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Speaker 1: so that's.

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Speaker 2: Common for both those teams.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, the as I mentioned, the Lions defense gave up

390
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Speaker 1: three hundred and seventy two point one yards per game.

391
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Speaker 1: The Steelers were at two seventy two point nine one

392
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Speaker 1: hundred yards per game less.

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Speaker 2: Wow. I mean that was the best of Steelers D played.

394
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Speaker 2: The Lions D was battle year. Yeah, they were not

395
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Speaker 2: a great and then there's a big offseason for their

396
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Speaker 2: defense too.

397
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Speaker 1: And the other commonality there thirteen forced turnovers for the

398
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Speaker 1: Steelers defense in those final nine games, so they were

399
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Speaker 1: plus eight wow in those final nine.

400
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Speaker 2: We're seeing a formula here, obviously, right.

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Speaker 1: I bring that up because as we've talked about, as

402
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Speaker 1: I've mentioned the Steelers schedule from last year, I went

403
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Speaker 1: and did their strength of schedule for those nine games.

404
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Speaker 1: The winning percentage that those teams ended up with is

405
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Speaker 1: four sixty three.

406
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Speaker 2: Okay, so below five hundred.

407
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Speaker 1: The Steelers schedule this year, the team's based on what

408
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Speaker 1: they finished at last year is four seventy. So basically

409
00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:13,800
Speaker 1: they're playing the same schedule in the set that they

410
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Speaker 1: played in the second half of last year.

411
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Speaker 2: And I don't know if you know this off top

412
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Speaker 2: of your head, but it's fresher for you than me.

413
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Speaker 2: But I don't think the Lions played the murderers row.

414
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Speaker 1: They didn't either. They did not.

415
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Speaker 2: I'm sure a lot of people are like, well, the

416
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Speaker 2: Steelers had an easier schedule and the Lions probably no,

417
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Speaker 2: they didn't think they did.

418
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Speaker 1: They did not. Yeah, the Lions second half schedule. Remember

419
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Speaker 1: the Lions were one and six, and that division's much more.

420
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Speaker 1: They almost played the same like that's when the Lions

421
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Speaker 1: played the Eagles. The Lions played they're tougher games and

422
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Speaker 1: then in the second half the schedule he eased up.

423
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Speaker 1: Well Moostht teams did the same thing and.

424
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Speaker 2: They both ended up in the eight seed in seventy

425
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Speaker 2: or the playoffs.

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Speaker 1: You know.

427
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Speaker 2: So it is interesting because you've brought this up before.

428
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Speaker 2: Everyone's buzzing about the Lions. Everyone's buzzing about the Lions,

429
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Speaker 2: but not the Steelers. And I get it because the

430
00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,280
Speaker 2: divisions are totally different, the conferences are totally different, and

431
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Speaker 2: the organized theyations are totally different.

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Speaker 1: Well that's the other thing.

433
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Speaker 2: And one of them's used to winning, and one of

434
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Speaker 2: them sure isn't.

435
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Speaker 1: I think nationally they just get tired of talking about

436
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Speaker 1: the Steelers. Yeah yeah, yeah, I mean pencil the Steelers

437
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Speaker 1: and they're going to have at least nine wins because.

438
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Speaker 2: That's what they do every year. And Okay, I get it.

439
00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:17,480
Speaker 2: But even like that Sessler article you mentioned, it's like quietly.

440
00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:19,200
Speaker 2: You know, there's a lot of things like, good boy,

441
00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:21,680
Speaker 2: this could be a sleeping giant, this could quietly be

442
00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,520
Speaker 2: You're getting a lot more of that rumblings, and I

443
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:26,720
Speaker 2: think a lot more of that stuff will really come out,

444
00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,600
Speaker 2: like when Warren Sharp's book comes out and Football Outsiders

445
00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:32,960
Speaker 2: books come out and you start reading chapters and be like,

446
00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,440
Speaker 2: I didn't realize how good the Steelers were the last

447
00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:37,680
Speaker 2: nine games or the last half of the season, and

448
00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:39,920
Speaker 2: what they're building, and boy, what if their quarterback takes

449
00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,399
Speaker 2: a step in year two and the line that I've

450
00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:44,280
Speaker 2: been killing looks pretty good all of a sudden.

451
00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, right, yeah? Or that O line last year was

452
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:48,920
Speaker 1: because that's one of the big things that I've read

453
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,280
Speaker 1: throughout you well, they really need to upgrade their offensive line.

454
00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,920
Speaker 1: They did, did they really need to? I mean, it

455
00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:57,960
Speaker 1: was nice to be able to do it, right, But

456
00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,320
Speaker 1: if they had run the same five starters back this

457
00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:06,320
Speaker 1: year on the offensive line, it was in the top

458
00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,639
Speaker 1: sixteen is I don't think it was bad. No, it

459
00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,640
Speaker 1: wasn't the disaster to everybody. Again, one hundred and forty

460
00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,119
Speaker 1: six point two yards rushing per game, right, and you

461
00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,720
Speaker 1: didn't have a quarterback chipping in seventy eight per game.

462
00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:19,960
Speaker 1: You didn't have justin fields.

463
00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,200
Speaker 2: No, no, no, right, right, good point. I pick it

464
00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,480
Speaker 2: runs a little, but that's not like that, right, not

465
00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:24,840
Speaker 2: like that.

466
00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:27,159
Speaker 1: No.

467
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,679
Speaker 2: I mean I think it was a bit of a luxury.

468
00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:31,840
Speaker 2: And I'm glad they did it, you know, the upgrade

469
00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:35,080
Speaker 2: the O line because it killed two birds. R starters

470
00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:39,440
Speaker 2: looked better, three birds starters look better, future looks much better,

471
00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:42,399
Speaker 2: and your death a thousand times better. And that was

472
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:45,160
Speaker 2: you got guys in your bench who'd been starters. Yeah,

473
00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:47,200
Speaker 2: last year, last year, and not just for this team

474
00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:47,680
Speaker 2: but for others.

475
00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:49,520
Speaker 1: Her Big started a lot of games last year for

476
00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:49,960
Speaker 1: the Jets.

477
00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:50,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, good point.

478
00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:52,480
Speaker 1: You know you brought in those kind of guys.

479
00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,040
Speaker 2: Yeah. No, I like what they did a lot there. Yeah,

480
00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,840
Speaker 2: and it was, if anything, it was overkilled. But I

481
00:20:57,920 --> 00:20:58,800
Speaker 2: mean that is a compliment.

482
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,359
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's one's that's one position where you can do

483
00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:03,680
Speaker 1: that didn't have to happen. Yeah, you know, but and

484
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,480
Speaker 1: it doesn't you know, oh, you know, if you have

485
00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,960
Speaker 1: five quarterbacks that have started, well that's that's too many.

486
00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:12,640
Speaker 1: I don't know if you can have enough offensive alignment

487
00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:14,200
Speaker 1: then so starting.

488
00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,520
Speaker 2: If they rewind the free agency world. I'm sure that

489
00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,520
Speaker 2: there's people out there listening, like man, I wish they

490
00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,560
Speaker 2: would have spent more at linebacker. But let's say they

491
00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,960
Speaker 2: signed Tremaine Edmunds or one of those dudes. Well, then

492
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,159
Speaker 2: you don't have that line situation right right at all? Right,

493
00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:27,879
Speaker 2: you know, there's not even close to that, and I

494
00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:29,760
Speaker 2: would rather invest in alignment. Yeah.

495
00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,159
Speaker 1: Absolutely, He is Matt Williamson. I am Dale, Lollie. You're

496
00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,080
Speaker 1: listening to a special edition of the Drive here on

497
00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,120
Speaker 1: Steelers Nation Radio. We are live from the upmc roooney

498
00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,920
Speaker 1: Sports Complex here on the South Side where the Steelers

499
00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:45,960
Speaker 1: are partaking in OTA Session number six. We will be

500
00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,880
Speaker 1: back with more right after this on Steelers Nation Radio

501
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:57,359
Speaker 1: and ESPN nine seventy. Well, come back.

502
00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:58,480
Speaker 2: I am Dale, Lollie.

503
00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,320
Speaker 1: He is Matt Williamson. We are live from the Steelers

504
00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:05,120
Speaker 1: OTA sessions here at the upmc rooney Sports Complex here

505
00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:06,879
Speaker 1: on the south side. You hear the horn blowing there

506
00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:09,960
Speaker 1: in the background. That's ending one of the periods here.

507
00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:12,000
Speaker 1: There was a team session out there. They'll break off.

508
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:13,600
Speaker 1: I'll probably do some seven on seven now.

509
00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:15,399
Speaker 2: I'm not given anything away there, only.

510
00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:19,200
Speaker 1: You are, so Matt. We just read from Mark Sessler

511
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,359
Speaker 1: the ten most improved teams in the league. That takes

512
00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:25,359
Speaker 1: me to this thing that I was talking about on

513
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,240
Speaker 1: ESPN they do their power indexes.

514
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:28,760
Speaker 2: Oh okay, I didn't see it today.

515
00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:31,520
Speaker 1: This has been out now for about It came out

516
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:32,440
Speaker 1: right after the draft.

517
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:33,760
Speaker 2: Okay, I guess I wouldn't, sane.

518
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:35,359
Speaker 1: I've wanted to talk about it. Yeah, I wanted to

519
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,159
Speaker 1: talk about it here for a few weeks as we

520
00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:39,119
Speaker 1: do the drive here, but we just haven't gotten around

521
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,919
Speaker 1: to it. So I'm looking at this thing here now,

522
00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:51,320
Speaker 1: and on ESPN's power Index, the Steelers are nineteenth minus

523
00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:56,800
Speaker 1: point four. There was zero even Steve. Zero is basically yeah,

524
00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:01,040
Speaker 1: you're an average team, average team, averages team. Okay, so

525
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:05,440
Speaker 1: they're there. The Lions are eleventh at plus one point four.

526
00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,119
Speaker 2: Okay. And this isn't predicting wins or no, just just

527
00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:10,919
Speaker 2: to win the division. It's just a power run.

528
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,120
Speaker 1: So let's roll through these here, Okay. Chiefs are number

529
00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:15,360
Speaker 1: one at plus six point four.

530
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:17,560
Speaker 2: I get it, it's earned.

531
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:19,600
Speaker 1: Bills are second at plus five point six.

532
00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:20,879
Speaker 2: I don't know if that'd be two for me, but

533
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:22,440
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm not going to fight him too much on.

534
00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:24,040
Speaker 2: They've been very successful lately.

535
00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,320
Speaker 1: The Eagles are third at plus five point zero.

536
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:28,480
Speaker 2: I'd probably have them two, but fair enough.

537
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,120
Speaker 1: Then you get the Bengals at plus four point six.

538
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:32,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, quality teams.

539
00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:36,080
Speaker 1: Man the forty nine ers at plus three point six.

540
00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,040
Speaker 1: I can't get on board with that. I don't know

541
00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:40,240
Speaker 1: who's their quarterback.

542
00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:42,919
Speaker 2: I just read this morning. It's been heavy heavy lance

543
00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,240
Speaker 2: in Ota. Yeah, which would make sense. I mean, he

544
00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:46,960
Speaker 2: needs all the work. Again, say get them all the

545
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,760
Speaker 2: work he can, good or bad. He's thrown three hundred

546
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,960
Speaker 2: passes twenty eighteen. Yeah, since twenty eighteen. I think you'd

547
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,240
Speaker 2: be more concerning if it was heavy darnold, right, you

548
00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,440
Speaker 2: know what I mean? So, I mean, who knows it

549
00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,600
Speaker 2: might work out? But that's that's the big question mark.

550
00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:01,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, and that is a huge question mark

551
00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,119
Speaker 1: to have in football, it is. I also thought they

552
00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,159
Speaker 1: had the worst draft of the entire league. Yeah, they

553
00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:08,040
Speaker 1: didn't help themselves.

554
00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:09,960
Speaker 2: No, I mean they draft a kicker in the third round.

555
00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,520
Speaker 1: The Jets are six at plus three point two.

556
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,200
Speaker 2: Okay, I mean again, all these teams look really good

557
00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,479
Speaker 2: right now. I mean it's hard to poke holes as

558
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:19,880
Speaker 2: it stands, and June.

559
00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:22,320
Speaker 1: First, you're gonna you're gonna disagree with this. Next one.

560
00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:25,840
Speaker 1: They have the Chargers at seven at plus three point oh.

561
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, Like I can't have them ahead of Dallas or Miami.

562
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,200
Speaker 2: I mean we did our AFC power ranks, and the

563
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,080
Speaker 2: Chargers were behind the Steelers, right, and maybe behind the

564
00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,000
Speaker 2: Browns and behind the Ravens. Haven't come up.

565
00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:37,440
Speaker 1: I think they were just ahead of the Browns and

566
00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:39,080
Speaker 1: behind the steel They were tucked in between. The two

567
00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,320
Speaker 1: of the Cowboys are there at eight at plus three

568
00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:44,879
Speaker 1: point zero, followed by the Dolphins at plus three point oh.

569
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:46,440
Speaker 1: So all three of those teams are a plus three

570
00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:51,760
Speaker 1: point oh at ten a big drop off here down

571
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,679
Speaker 1: to two point zero, so a full percentage point are

572
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,639
Speaker 1: the Ravens, I.

573
00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:59,119
Speaker 2: Mean, Ravens are Chargers? To me? Is interesting? I mean

574
00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,800
Speaker 2: a big thing that all these teams minus the Niners

575
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,720
Speaker 2: have those an established quarterback that's a Pro Bowl guy.

576
00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,920
Speaker 1: Right, that's the difference. That's huge. But if we're gonna

577
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:16,439
Speaker 1: look at those top ten teams, yeah, you got Kansas City, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Cincinnati,

578
00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,720
Speaker 1: San Francisco, the Jets, the Chargers, the Cowboys, the Dolphins,

579
00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:25,159
Speaker 1: the Ravens as your top ten. Is Baltimore's defense the

580
00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:26,399
Speaker 1: worst of any of those.

581
00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:31,360
Speaker 2: Groups off the top of my head. Yeah, probably Chargers

582
00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:33,480
Speaker 2: are a little bit suspect, but.

583
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,000
Speaker 1: At least they got a pass rush. They got a

584
00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:37,720
Speaker 1: pass rush, that's what they want. Ravens have no pass that's.

585
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:41,320
Speaker 2: They're definitely the worst pass rushing team of that group. Yeah. Uh,

586
00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:43,480
Speaker 2: then you would rather take my chances with Sandy or

587
00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:44,560
Speaker 2: with the Chargers.

588
00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:47,399
Speaker 1: You have the Lions at eleven at one plus one

589
00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:47,920
Speaker 1: point four.

590
00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,040
Speaker 2: Their defense still might be worse the raven Absolutely. Yeah.

591
00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,040
Speaker 1: The Jaguars at twelve plus point nine.

592
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,120
Speaker 2: I get the hype, I do, but I just think

593
00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:01,199
Speaker 2: that a small step backward is screw the Jags.

594
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,439
Speaker 1: Name the Broncos at thirteen at plus point nine. Now

595
00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,600
Speaker 1: we're getting a little saying the Jaguars and Broncos are

596
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:08,480
Speaker 1: an equal footing.

597
00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,000
Speaker 2: I don't think so. I mean, I think that's crazy.

598
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:13,760
Speaker 2: I would put the Browns over both those guys and

599
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:14,400
Speaker 2: the Steelers.

600
00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,480
Speaker 1: You got the Giants at plus point five at fourteen.

601
00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:20,920
Speaker 2: I have a hard time buying it. They're an above

602
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,880
Speaker 2: AVS house car, house of car, above average football team.

603
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:24,800
Speaker 2: That's Giants.

604
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,400
Speaker 1: Same thing with the Vikings at plus point five. They're

605
00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,840
Speaker 1: deed is brutal, They're awful, They're gonna be bad. They're

606
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,720
Speaker 1: gonna be bad. I do like the offense a lot.

607
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:36,000
Speaker 1: How about this one, the Patriots at sixteen at plus

608
00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:36,520
Speaker 1: point three.

609
00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:39,960
Speaker 2: That doesn't come to me either.

610
00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:43,320
Speaker 1: Then you get the Browns at seventeen at plus point two.

611
00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,280
Speaker 2: Okay, you said Steelers are eighteen.

612
00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:49,200
Speaker 1: They're nineteen nineteen. The Seahawks are eighteenth at plus point one. See,

613
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,399
Speaker 1: I could say I'm not a huge Seahawks believer, but

614
00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:54,240
Speaker 1: I could see a case for them being twelve. Right,

615
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,120
Speaker 1: you know, some of the teams you mentioned don't blow

616
00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:58,600
Speaker 1: me away. Where Seattle's at least trending the right direction.

617
00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:02,119
Speaker 1: You get the Steelers at at minus point four, the

618
00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:04,840
Speaker 1: Raiders at minus point six.

619
00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:07,840
Speaker 2: Wow, so the Browns have not come up yet.

620
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,240
Speaker 1: No, they No, they're seventeen. Okay, we were talking about

621
00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:13,320
Speaker 1: the Raiders yesterday. Is one of the worst teams in

622
00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:17,080
Speaker 1: the AFC. See, I'm sitting here thinking the Steelers were nineteen.

623
00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,480
Speaker 1: Almost every team you're gonna mention to me has a

624
00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,240
Speaker 1: much better chance, well maybe not much, but a better

625
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:24,960
Speaker 1: chance to pick first overall than they do.

626
00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:27,720
Speaker 2: To go to playoffs. Yeah, I mean I think there's

627
00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:31,320
Speaker 2: a clear dozen or so not very good teams.

628
00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,920
Speaker 1: You got the Commanders at minus point one point four

629
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,080
Speaker 1: at twenty one, Okay, you've got the Saints at twenty

630
00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,639
Speaker 1: two at minus one point eight. I disagree with that.

631
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:43,280
Speaker 2: I might have them a little higher.

632
00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:45,359
Speaker 1: I would have them higher. You know what direction you're

633
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,639
Speaker 1: gonna go? Yeah, the Rams at twenty three at minus

634
00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:49,320
Speaker 1: two point.

635
00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:51,520
Speaker 2: Four, I'm not there. No, I think they're a bottom

636
00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:52,680
Speaker 2: five or six type of team.

637
00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,040
Speaker 1: Tied with the Bears at minus two point four.

638
00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,200
Speaker 2: That defense is rough in Chicago too. I mean, do

639
00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:03,720
Speaker 2: you have more faith I mean fields versus picket. I

640
00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:06,480
Speaker 2: mean I think they're in the same We've seen glimpses

641
00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:08,760
Speaker 2: of both. Yeah, I mean I wouldn't say I have

642
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,720
Speaker 2: a lot of more faith than one than the other

643
00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:11,920
Speaker 2: to succeed this year.

644
00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:15,800
Speaker 1: At twenty five is the Packers at minus two point eight.

645
00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,560
Speaker 2: They're a tough one for me. I mean, there is

646
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,320
Speaker 2: talent on that team. They've won a lot of games recently.

647
00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,000
Speaker 1: I wish I'd always a question mark at quarterback.

648
00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:26,959
Speaker 2: Have a much better feel for fields and picket than

649
00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,040
Speaker 2: they do. Love. Oh, absolutely, you know right.

650
00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:32,880
Speaker 1: The Falcons at twenty six at minus three point two.

651
00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:35,679
Speaker 1: They're better than they were. I like that, they're buildings,

652
00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:37,440
Speaker 1: they better than they were, and they won seven games

653
00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:39,520
Speaker 1: last year, and they's somehow behind a bunch of these

654
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,560
Speaker 1: teams that also won fewer.

655
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,120
Speaker 2: They could easily win their division. Yea, not easily, but

656
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,840
Speaker 2: I keep come up with a pathway for that. Yeah, defenses, improved,

657
00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,840
Speaker 2: run the football. If Ridder's not who, they need Riddle

658
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,240
Speaker 2: to be the twenty fourth best quarterback, yeah, you know which,

659
00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,040
Speaker 2: I don't know if he can't be or not. That's

660
00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:55,520
Speaker 2: not easy.

661
00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,880
Speaker 1: At twenty seven, you have the Panthers at minus three

662
00:28:58,920 --> 00:28:59,360
Speaker 1: point four.

663
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:01,480
Speaker 2: I think this would be a brutal year for them,

664
00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:03,040
Speaker 2: especially on offense.

665
00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:05,360
Speaker 1: Then you get to the Titans at twenty eight at

666
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:06,280
Speaker 1: minus three point five.

667
00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:07,160
Speaker 2: These are the bad teams.

668
00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,160
Speaker 1: These are the really bad, the bad teams. The Colts

669
00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:12,120
Speaker 1: are twenty ninth at minus five point one.

670
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,720
Speaker 2: They would be better than the Raiders and five others

671
00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:15,400
Speaker 2: you mentioned to me.

672
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:18,840
Speaker 1: The Buccaneers are thirty if at minus five point five.

673
00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,200
Speaker 2: They've got some issues. I mean, they're missing the starting

674
00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:23,080
Speaker 2: offensive lineman.

675
00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,040
Speaker 1: They don't have any money to go get then they're

676
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:25,720
Speaker 1: to do anything.

677
00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:27,800
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, And they're right at the bottom league in

678
00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,040
Speaker 2: cap space as it stands now, I mean it's going

679
00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:31,800
Speaker 2: to be they're taking their lumps this year.

680
00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,560
Speaker 1: The Cardinals are thirty first at minus five point eight.

681
00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:36,800
Speaker 2: Okay, not only Houston should be thirty two.

682
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,440
Speaker 1: Anyway, and Houston is thirty second at minus six point one.

683
00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,920
Speaker 2: I would have the Steelers higher. I mean, if that's

684
00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:44,680
Speaker 2: where we're going with this, where do they lock up

685
00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:46,800
Speaker 2: with the rest of the league. I look at the

686
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,080
Speaker 2: Steelers at least as an average team. If we're to

687
00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:50,640
Speaker 2: talk about the number next to them, I think they

688
00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:52,080
Speaker 2: should be a zero or above.

689
00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:54,080
Speaker 1: Yeah. I don't see how they're negative.

690
00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:56,760
Speaker 2: I don't see they're negative at all. In a winning

691
00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:57,960
Speaker 2: record last year and they're better now.

692
00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,000
Speaker 1: How are they behind the Patriots? How are they behind

693
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,800
Speaker 1: the Broncos? Right, Broncos haven't made the playoffs since twenty fifteen.

694
00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:08,720
Speaker 2: They were a pretty miserable team last year too. Yeah,

695
00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,000
Speaker 2: I mean where did they get better besides head coach?

696
00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,800
Speaker 2: I mean, they got in brought in two big run

697
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,720
Speaker 2: blocking linemen, but I mean they're not a noticeably. Steelers

698
00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:18,920
Speaker 2: did more in the offseason.

699
00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,240
Speaker 1: The Steelers and the Jaguars had the same record last year.

700
00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:22,959
Speaker 2: Yeah, nobody looks at it in that light.

701
00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,200
Speaker 1: Nobody looks at it same as the Lions. The Steelers

702
00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:26,640
Speaker 1: and the Lions had the same record.

703
00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:29,520
Speaker 2: I think a lot of people think the Jags have arrived.

704
00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,200
Speaker 2: You know, I think Lawrence is pretty close to arrived.

705
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,040
Speaker 2: But you were nine and eight last year and won

706
00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:37,280
Speaker 2: the worst division ever. Yeah, I mean that's not Chiefs

707
00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:39,480
Speaker 2: level of accomplishment.

708
00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:41,560
Speaker 1: Oh, by the way, you've beaten the Ravens five at

709
00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:43,600
Speaker 1: the last six times and they're considered a number ten

710
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,120
Speaker 1: team in the league. I mean, I just think there's

711
00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,000
Speaker 1: a big disconnect there with some of these things.

712
00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,960
Speaker 2: I do too, And I mean I can understand anyone

713
00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:56,400
Speaker 2: power ranking just the division with Cincinnati on top and

714
00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:59,280
Speaker 2: then struggling with the next three, and I think the

715
00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,400
Speaker 2: default would be put the Ravens at two. You know, they've,

716
00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:07,400
Speaker 2: whether perceptions correct or not, they seem like the better

717
00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,960
Speaker 2: team on paper than the Steelers or Browns the last

718
00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,800
Speaker 2: two years, but that much of the results say that,

719
00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:14,040
Speaker 2: especially late in the year.

720
00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,000
Speaker 1: Here's the other thing. So they did that with those

721
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:24,440
Speaker 1: projections of that, you know, they're index they projected records.

722
00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:27,480
Speaker 1: The Steelers come in at eight point five and eight

723
00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:29,520
Speaker 1: point four, like a five hundred.

724
00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:31,720
Speaker 2: That's Stephen Stevens. You can get right.

725
00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:34,640
Speaker 1: Without a doubt point nine chance to win the Super Bowl.

726
00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:37,520
Speaker 2: I don't know how to respond to some of those

727
00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:38,880
Speaker 2: predictive percentage.

728
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, but if you're basing that off of

729
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,800
Speaker 1: like Denver's projected to go eight point four and eight

730
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,760
Speaker 1: point five, I assume they're the Giants are ahead of them,

731
00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,920
Speaker 1: and they're they're win projection is eight point two, like.

732
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:53,760
Speaker 2: And they've won the hardest schedules in the league sort

733
00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:56,360
Speaker 2: of Denver from what I remember. So I don't know

734
00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,960
Speaker 2: how much they're waiting schedule in terms of it's where

735
00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:02,120
Speaker 2: should be factored in a little bit. You would think

736
00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:04,480
Speaker 2: it should be factored a lot. Yeah, I mean the

737
00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:06,920
Speaker 2: people I respect most of do the wind total stuff

738
00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,640
Speaker 2: really factor and who you're playing? Yeah? Right, I mean,

739
00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:13,040
Speaker 2: I just that seems like this seems late to me.

740
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,040
Speaker 1: I think that again, some national media sleeping on the

741
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,280
Speaker 1: Steelers a little bit, others not so much.

742
00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:20,360
Speaker 2: Others are warming up.

743
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:20,680
Speaker 1: Yeah.

744
00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,560
Speaker 2: I don't know that anyone's saying look out for the Steelers,

745
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,600
Speaker 2: but a lot of people were saying, boy, off seasons

746
00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:27,560
Speaker 2: off Sason.

747
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:29,520
Speaker 1: Hey they won nine games last year.

748
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, I miss that as opposed to Ben's gone and

749
00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:34,640
Speaker 2: this is rebuild years and blah blah blah. I'm like,

750
00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,880
Speaker 2: I think more and more people will warm up to them,

751
00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,240
Speaker 2: But I bet coach Tomlin hopes they don't. You know

752
00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:41,560
Speaker 2: what I mean.

753
00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,600
Speaker 1: I mean, you had a chance to be the hunter

754
00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:44,400
Speaker 1: instead of the hunting.

755
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:46,160
Speaker 2: How often does that happen around here? You know what

756
00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:46,440
Speaker 2: I mean?

757
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,400
Speaker 1: So it's it's interesting, and you know the other thing

758
00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:51,680
Speaker 1: about it. And I was talking with our colleague Mike

759
00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:58,440
Speaker 1: Persudo about this yesterday. This team can withstand some injuries

760
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:02,280
Speaker 1: much more so than recent memory. Like if let's say,

761
00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,800
Speaker 1: let's say Baltimore loses you know, a defensive line or

762
00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:08,160
Speaker 1: in an edge rusher, which they don't have any to

763
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,680
Speaker 1: begin with, they can't afford to lose anybody at those positions,

764
00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,360
Speaker 1: or they had their secondary gets hit hard again by

765
00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:15,920
Speaker 1: or Lamar misses games. Yeah, do you trust them that

766
00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:17,120
Speaker 1: to continue to win?

767
00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,440
Speaker 2: I don't know that any position except for maybe tight

768
00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:22,800
Speaker 2: end is particularly deep in Baltimore, which is disturbing, to

769
00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:25,400
Speaker 2: be honest, with the amount of high draft picks they've

770
00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,360
Speaker 2: had over the last five, six seven years, all the compicks,

771
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,360
Speaker 2: all the extra first rounders. One year they had like

772
00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:32,640
Speaker 2: five fourth round picks.

773
00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:34,480
Speaker 1: Well, they keep doing the same thing over and over again.

774
00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:36,960
Speaker 1: Oh look, the Ravens took this guy in the fourth round.

775
00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:38,400
Speaker 1: He was supposed to be a second rounder, but he

776
00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:41,480
Speaker 1: was hurt. But he was hurt, so he fell around Jobo.

777
00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,640
Speaker 1: Yeah right, right, So okay, you basically you just wasted

778
00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,480
Speaker 1: his rookie year because he's not going to play for

779
00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:48,400
Speaker 1: you and.

780
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:51,080
Speaker 2: They have had bad He hit right, right, and he

781
00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:54,520
Speaker 2: has to hit too. I just think that the biggest

782
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,480
Speaker 2: thing I'm critical of the Ravens of late is the

783
00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:01,800
Speaker 2: resources you've had on draft day aren't corresponding to the field,

784
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,959
Speaker 2: and even in terms of quality depth. Yeah, I mean,

785
00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:07,640
Speaker 2: I think you should have more for all the quality

786
00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:09,920
Speaker 2: picks you've had. I mean, I don't know that anyone

787
00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:13,000
Speaker 2: over this year's aside anyone over the last half dozen

788
00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:17,400
Speaker 2: years or so, ha's had more quality picks mid rounders,

789
00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:18,799
Speaker 2: third round ors, that type of thing.

790
00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:20,880
Speaker 1: And they are showed on the other side of the

791
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,279
Speaker 1: of that coin. The Browns haven't had any picks, no,

792
00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:26,840
Speaker 1: but they're making them count a little bit more, a

793
00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,320
Speaker 1: little bit more. Yeah, but they don't have because of

794
00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:32,560
Speaker 1: what they did at quarterback, they haven't been able to

795
00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,640
Speaker 1: add much in free agency. They added a little bit

796
00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:38,840
Speaker 1: this year, but it's it's just it's it's really interesting.

797
00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,400
Speaker 1: I don't know, we'll see. I mean, that's why they

798
00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:43,520
Speaker 1: play the games, that's why they're you know, they have

799
00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:45,319
Speaker 1: the schedule, they put it out and then you play them.

800
00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:49,320
Speaker 2: But the four teams in division are constructed so very differently,

801
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:52,279
Speaker 2: without a doubt, without a doubt. And I really have

802
00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:55,000
Speaker 2: changed my tune of how the Steelers are built over

803
00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:57,840
Speaker 2: the last year in a positive way. Not that I

804
00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:00,920
Speaker 2: disliked it before, but they in with stand a lot.

805
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:02,680
Speaker 2: I mean, they can lose their starting quarterback, they could

806
00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:05,400
Speaker 2: lose their number one receiver, they could better equipped to

807
00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:07,400
Speaker 2: lose t J. Watt. Yeah, I mean I'm talking.

808
00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,959
Speaker 1: About Naja Harris. Mister Gael, you'd feel okay, okay, that's fine,

809
00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:14,600
Speaker 1: Jalen world band it right right. I just quality depth

810
00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:18,400
Speaker 1: across the board, and I think sometimes that gets overlooked

811
00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:21,360
Speaker 1: a little bit. Maybe you don't I've seen things, you know,

812
00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:23,400
Speaker 1: people talking about, Shoot, well, they don't have any.

813
00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:27,719
Speaker 2: Star power really, but don't I mean, maybe there's not.

814
00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:31,640
Speaker 2: I could see him saying that. Offensively, Yeah, I say

815
00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,080
Speaker 2: maybe offensively, there's not the guy that goes in the

816
00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,160
Speaker 2: first two rounds of your fantasy draft type of thing.

817
00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:39,120
Speaker 1: But I could go through fifteen of these teams to say,

818
00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:42,400
Speaker 1: you know, who's the who's the star on the Dolphins offense?

819
00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:44,879
Speaker 1: Or Tyreek Hill? No, I guess bad, bad, But who's

820
00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,760
Speaker 1: the who's the offensive star? Not name, not a quarterback?

821
00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,440
Speaker 1: Who's the absolute star on the Ravens offense? Right, and

822
00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:52,480
Speaker 1: Andrews is good, he's a.

823
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:54,680
Speaker 2: Good player, but he's not All of Famer. He's not

824
00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:56,480
Speaker 2: a star rar.

825
00:35:57,080 --> 00:35:59,000
Speaker 1: You know, I'm not going to say he's equal to him.

826
00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:00,680
Speaker 1: But he's in the same ball and he's catching up

827
00:36:00,719 --> 00:36:02,560
Speaker 1: the U. Yeah, he's in a ballpark. Right. You know,

828
00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:05,600
Speaker 1: who's who's the who's the Lions offensive star?

829
00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,439
Speaker 2: No, I'm with you. I hear exactly what you're saying

830
00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,560
Speaker 2: there that and some of these teams might have one

831
00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,200
Speaker 2: or two and then not much at I mean, like

832
00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:17,239
Speaker 2: the Dolphins are a good example, Tyreek and Watt or wow,

833
00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,160
Speaker 2: but their third receiver. I've been most of our listeners.

834
00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,400
Speaker 1: Who it is. Their offensive lines junk and they're on.

835
00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:25,440
Speaker 2: A much of tight end. They're running back rooms a

836
00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:28,320
Speaker 2: bunch of dudes. You know, it's fast and it's well schemed,

837
00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,880
Speaker 2: but they're pretty reliant on their two superstar receivers.

838
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,480
Speaker 1: And the Steelers have as much defensive star power as

839
00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:36,319
Speaker 1: any team in the league.

840
00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:38,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I agree, I mean they do.

841
00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:40,440
Speaker 1: You know, you got a reigning or you got a

842
00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:43,280
Speaker 1: former Defensive Player of the Year. You got a potential

843
00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:46,399
Speaker 1: Hall of Fame defensive tackle. You got a safety that's

844
00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:49,879
Speaker 1: you know, I think as an allfielder in the league.

845
00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:51,759
Speaker 1: And now you've got a you know, a Hall of

846
00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:53,920
Speaker 1: Fame cornerback. Yees, he's at the end of his career,

847
00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,759
Speaker 1: but he could still win up you know with this

848
00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,640
Speaker 1: He's still had five interceptions last year.

849
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:01,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean people, I mean, he's like

850
00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:03,200
Speaker 2: the Fletcher Cox or some of these guys have been

851
00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:05,680
Speaker 2: really really good careers that are late in their career

852
00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,359
Speaker 2: that aren't gonna be asked to do what they did earlier.

853
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:09,960
Speaker 1: In the you know, to carry the team, but are

854
00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,399
Speaker 1: valuable valuable dudes. Yeah, absolutely, so we're gonna take another break.

855
00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:15,760
Speaker 1: He is Matt Williamson I am Dale, Lolly. You're listening

856
00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:19,279
Speaker 1: to Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine to seventy are

857
00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:22,640
Speaker 1: ongoing live coverage from the Steeler OTA sessions here at

858
00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:25,560
Speaker 1: the upmc rooney Sports Complex. We'll be back with more

859
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:34,759
Speaker 1: right after this. Welcome back. I am Dale, Lollie. He

860
00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:38,040
Speaker 1: is Matt Williamson. We are live here from the upmc

861
00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,840
Speaker 1: rooney Sports Complex here where the Steelers are completing OTA

862
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:45,480
Speaker 1: session number six. You're listening to Course on ESPN nine

863
00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:50,160
Speaker 1: seventy and Steelers Nation Radio and Matt, we were talking about, well,

864
00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:52,600
Speaker 1: some of that star power that the Steelers have yesterday,

865
00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:54,520
Speaker 1: and you sent me a piece here that Pro Football

866
00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:58,759
Speaker 1: Focus put together the top three players on each team.

867
00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,000
Speaker 1: I'm assuming this is by via their greats.

868
00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:03,520
Speaker 2: I assume, I mean one of their writers went through

869
00:38:03,560 --> 00:38:05,239
Speaker 2: them all and I didn't read any of them yet,

870
00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:07,160
Speaker 2: so I figured to be a good thing to chat about.

871
00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:10,040
Speaker 2: But I'm curious, you know what some of the teams

872
00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,120
Speaker 2: in the league are. And I just looked at Arizona

873
00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:14,759
Speaker 2: because it was alphabetical and the first sentence was, well,

874
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:15,880
Speaker 2: this was probably the hardest.

875
00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:21,600
Speaker 1: One to do, so, so they mentioned the Steelers. Steelers

876
00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,759
Speaker 1: Nation Radio We'll start with the Steelers, and the three

877
00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,200
Speaker 1: best players are those three players we just talked about,

878
00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:30,319
Speaker 1: t J. Watt, Cameron Hayward makea Fitzpatrick.

879
00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:32,120
Speaker 2: Is that one of the easiest ones in the league

880
00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:32,279
Speaker 2: to do?

881
00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:33,320
Speaker 1: I think so.

882
00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:36,200
Speaker 2: With all respect to any of the offensive guys, they're

883
00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:39,520
Speaker 2: all young. None of them are the Maenco level. Yet,

884
00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:41,960
Speaker 2: you know, let alone the body of work of Hayward

885
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:45,160
Speaker 2: or the defensive player of the year potential of Watt.

886
00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:46,759
Speaker 1: You know, I mean, really, if you look at it,

887
00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:49,680
Speaker 1: what and Fitzpatrick have defensive player of the Year? I mean,

888
00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:51,560
Speaker 1: if Maka went out and got eight interceptions this year

889
00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:53,680
Speaker 1: or something like that, he would be in the He'd

890
00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:54,160
Speaker 1: be in the mix.

891
00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:56,000
Speaker 2: Has the hardware, Yeah, I mean yeah.

892
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,040
Speaker 1: What they said about is though the Steelers offense is

893
00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,160
Speaker 1: trending up with young talent, it's still about their defense.

894
00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:04,799
Speaker 1: Watton Hayward remained two of the best in the league

895
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,879
Speaker 1: at their positions, went healthy, and Fitzpatrick earned the best

896
00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,520
Speaker 1: overall grade of his career in twenty twenty two, in

897
00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:12,799
Speaker 1: eighty two point four mark with an eighty three point

898
00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:14,960
Speaker 1: three grade in coverage and an eighty two point two

899
00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:18,800
Speaker 1: grade in run defense. That's one thing I've noticed about

900
00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,279
Speaker 1: Pro Football Focus in their grading system. Everybody wants to

901
00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,400
Speaker 1: quote that use their grading system. Sure, if you're a

902
00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:28,839
Speaker 1: defensive back, you're not grading in the nineties. No, it's

903
00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:29,719
Speaker 1: almost impossible.

904
00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:32,920
Speaker 2: It's a good point. Some physicians definitely score.

905
00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:35,600
Speaker 1: A lot a lot higher, like offensive linemen. You know,

906
00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:38,759
Speaker 1: grades are you typically in the sixties and seventies, Like,

907
00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:41,560
Speaker 1: I don't know how you're looking at those things and

908
00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:43,359
Speaker 1: trying to figure that out and say, oh that, yeah,

909
00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:44,640
Speaker 1: that's a good play with that.

910
00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:48,760
Speaker 2: I'll be honest. I mean, even watching coaches tape, defensive

911
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:50,960
Speaker 2: backs are probably the hardest ones to grade. Yeah, I

912
00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:54,000
Speaker 2: mean defensive coordinat you can't just go ask, you know,

913
00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:56,239
Speaker 2: defensive coordinators around the league, what was the play call here?

914
00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:59,920
Speaker 2: You know, because if something gets blown or that covered,

915
00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:04,759
Speaker 2: or a route concept isn't recognized properly. As an evaluator,

916
00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:08,200
Speaker 2: it's hard to tell. And I think that's again I'm

917
00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:10,319
Speaker 2: not bashing Pro Football Focused, but I bet if Chris

918
00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:13,080
Speaker 2: Collinsorce was sitting here right now, he'd say, defensive backs

919
00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:16,759
Speaker 2: are the ones that are the most different, are the

920
00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,600
Speaker 2: ones we feel the least strongest about because the other

921
00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,800
Speaker 2: thing about him too, especially corners, They waiver year to

922
00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:25,920
Speaker 2: year more than like any position in a league two,

923
00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:28,879
Speaker 2: so it's just a little less sticky than other.

924
00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:34,560
Speaker 1: Positions also considered in this and this is interesting.

925
00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:38,120
Speaker 2: My next name, I think would be Friar Mooth Kenny Pickett.

926
00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:39,600
Speaker 2: They love him.

927
00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:42,520
Speaker 1: Remember his second half last year? He was what number

928
00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:45,000
Speaker 1: two or number three in their rankings? He was.

929
00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:50,320
Speaker 2: I'll be kind, I mean this is conservative by me

930
00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:52,040
Speaker 2: because I know the numbers are better than this. He

931
00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,279
Speaker 2: was in the top five in the second half of

932
00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:58,000
Speaker 2: the season in their big time throws, which that I

933
00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:01,400
Speaker 2: wouldn't have guessed. And he was also top five in

934
00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:06,440
Speaker 2: turnover worthy plays fewest I mean the best, I mean

935
00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:08,600
Speaker 2: absolutely the best, and he was in the top five.

936
00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:13,040
Speaker 2: It just in PFF overall great. So if it was

937
00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:15,160
Speaker 2: one or the other like this wy I've always said

938
00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:17,360
Speaker 2: about Aaron Rodgers, which is true about Mahomes too, is

939
00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:20,640
Speaker 2: what's so rare about him Mahomes and Rogers, and I'm

940
00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:22,440
Speaker 2: not saying Pickett is Mahomes and Rodgers there are two

941
00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:25,719
Speaker 2: of my top five quarterbacks I've ever seen. Is their

942
00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:30,040
Speaker 2: highlight tape is better than anybody's or as good as anybody's,

943
00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:32,759
Speaker 2: and their low light tape is as good as anybody's.

944
00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:34,920
Speaker 2: You know, there's not the mist it's not the far

945
00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,160
Speaker 2: of Wow, there's so many mistakes, but you can live

946
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:40,719
Speaker 2: with it because there's so much greatness. Well, especially backed

947
00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:43,520
Speaker 2: by what Pro Football Focus said. Pickett did that during

948
00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:45,120
Speaker 2: the second half of the Yeah, you know, he did

949
00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,600
Speaker 2: the the extravagant things, the tough throws, but he wasn't

950
00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:50,800
Speaker 2: at the cost of I'm trying to drive this between

951
00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:53,000
Speaker 2: three dudes, you know, no one to hold him and

952
00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:53,680
Speaker 2: wind to hold them.

953
00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,680
Speaker 1: But the fact that he's in that consideration as bonkers

954
00:41:57,120 --> 00:41:59,759
Speaker 1: is I mean, and there are still people questioning whether

955
00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:00,600
Speaker 1: he can play or not.

956
00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:02,239
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I I you know.

957
00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:04,200
Speaker 1: So let's run through some of these other teams. For

958
00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:07,320
Speaker 1: the Cardinals, it was Kyler, Murray, Buddha Baker, Marquise Brown.

959
00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:11,920
Speaker 1: That's rough and also considered offensive tackle DJ Humphries.

960
00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:12,960
Speaker 2: He's fine.

961
00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:16,760
Speaker 1: That's bad. That's bad for the Falcons.

962
00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:18,520
Speaker 2: Like Mark E's Brown should be in the top three

963
00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,000
Speaker 2: for anything. No, I mean, he's good, but he's top three.

964
00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:24,160
Speaker 1: For the Falcons. Chris Lnstrom one of the best guards

965
00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:24,600
Speaker 1: in the league.

966
00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:25,200
Speaker 2: If people don't know.

967
00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:29,520
Speaker 1: Jake Matthews, Kyle Pitts. I still am smitten with Pitts,

968
00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:32,400
Speaker 1: Like I want my top three guys though to be playmakers.

969
00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:35,520
Speaker 1: Pitt's is a playmaker. He just doesn't make any plays.

970
00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:39,399
Speaker 2: But I'll take that. Yeah, yeah, I'll take a bet

971
00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:43,160
Speaker 2: though that's London or Beijeon's on that list next year, okay,

972
00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:44,239
Speaker 2: and Matthews.

973
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,880
Speaker 1: Isn't they just so also considered we're a j Terrell

974
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,160
Speaker 1: Jesse Bates who hasn't played it down for them yet.

975
00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:51,920
Speaker 2: Terrell's a perfect example. He's graded off the charts for

976
00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:54,000
Speaker 2: them two years ago and last year he was just good?

977
00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,799
Speaker 2: Yeah great, But who's throwing at him when the other

978
00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:57,840
Speaker 2: corners are junk?

979
00:42:58,040 --> 00:42:58,400
Speaker 1: Right? You know?

980
00:42:58,480 --> 00:42:59,320
Speaker 2: Like I'll take aj.

981
00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:03,360
Speaker 1: Trell, gra London and Grady Jarrett also considered Dereck Jared's

982
00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:06,760
Speaker 1: going wrong with directly about this for the ravens Lamar

983
00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:11,600
Speaker 1: Lamar's number one, Mark Andrews. Marlon Humphrey. Marlon Humphrey did

984
00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:13,040
Speaker 1: not have a good year last year.

985
00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:15,320
Speaker 2: No he didn't, And I don't think he's an example

986
00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:18,520
Speaker 2: of PFF grade so he changed your year. He just

987
00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:21,439
Speaker 2: wasn't nearly the player. I think he fought some injuries. Yeah,

988
00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:23,960
Speaker 2: the top two I think are really deserving.

989
00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:26,520
Speaker 1: And that's what you want, those kind of players. I mean,

990
00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:28,239
Speaker 1: they're a big part of your offense. You want that.

991
00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:31,920
Speaker 2: But but you said this last segment. I think Andrews

992
00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:35,120
Speaker 2: is a really really good player, but not a He's

993
00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:38,319
Speaker 2: not Kelsey player. Yeah, you know, he's not kiddled to me. Yeah,

994
00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:39,879
Speaker 2: and just in terms of the football player.

995
00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:44,520
Speaker 1: Also considered for Roquwan Smith and Ronnie Stanley.

996
00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:47,920
Speaker 2: Is a good one though. Yeah, he really helped that

997
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:48,719
Speaker 2: defense a lot.

998
00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:55,640
Speaker 1: For the Bills. Allen Josh Allen, von Miller and Stefan Diggs.

999
00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:57,560
Speaker 2: He was missed in a big way. Yeah, but I mean,

1000
00:43:57,800 --> 00:43:58,719
Speaker 2: what is he gonna be now?

1001
00:43:58,840 --> 00:43:59,680
Speaker 1: But yeah, what's he gonna be?

1002
00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:02,520
Speaker 2: He's still deserving though he's an all time great.

1003
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:06,320
Speaker 1: Also considered Matt Mulano and Tredavius White. But here's the

1004
00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:08,560
Speaker 1: problem that the Bills had last year. Yeah, Miller missed

1005
00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:10,839
Speaker 1: the second half of the season, Milano missed a big

1006
00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:13,320
Speaker 1: chunk of the season, and White's been into that of

1007
00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:14,359
Speaker 1: the lineup the last couple of years.

1008
00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:16,319
Speaker 2: White was flat out bad when he came back to Yeah,

1009
00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:18,279
Speaker 2: you know, you hope he was a really good player

1010
00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:21,960
Speaker 2: before a very serious injury. Milano to me's a fixture though,

1011
00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:23,239
Speaker 2: I mean he's a better than people think.

1012
00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:26,879
Speaker 1: Let's jump down to the Bengals. Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase

1013
00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:30,360
Speaker 1: t Higgins. Okay, that's great. Yeah, the other guys on

1014
00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:32,760
Speaker 1: the on this also considered DJ Reader and Trey Hendrick.

1015
00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:36,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, thrown out there. Yeah, I mean that's what you want,

1016
00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:37,800
Speaker 2: that's enviable.

1017
00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:44,040
Speaker 1: Yeah. For the Browns Nick Chubb, Yeah, Joel Buttonio they love.

1018
00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:45,000
Speaker 2: Joe, they do.

1019
00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:47,400
Speaker 1: They like the other one too, Wyatt, yeah, Teller and

1020
00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:50,160
Speaker 1: Miles Garrett has Yeah, Miles Garrett has to be also

1021
00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:55,160
Speaker 1: considered Denzel Ward, Amari Cooper, Deshaun Watson. Oh, how can

1022
00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:58,440
Speaker 1: Deshaun Watson even be anywhere near that list? Yeah, he

1023
00:44:58,520 --> 00:44:58,880
Speaker 1: was awful.

1024
00:44:58,920 --> 00:45:03,040
Speaker 2: Harrison easy one. Yeah, that's Chubbs of an easy one too.

1025
00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:04,839
Speaker 2: I mean there are many backs I'd put ahead of him.

1026
00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:07,080
Speaker 1: I'm just looking down here to see if there's any

1027
00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:13,760
Speaker 1: other interesting teams here. Well, let's talk about that Jacksonville team.

1028
00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:16,720
Speaker 2: Real quick, go ahead, but I'd like to hear the Patriots.

1029
00:45:16,680 --> 00:45:22,040
Speaker 1: Josh Allen, Tyson Campbell, Trevor Lawrence, the other Josh Allen,

1030
00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:26,280
Speaker 1: the other Josh Allen. Also consider Brandon Shurff, Calvin Ridley

1031
00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:28,040
Speaker 1: doesn't play football in two years.

1032
00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:31,399
Speaker 2: They need Christian Kirk. Okay, sounds so great.

1033
00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:34,080
Speaker 1: Tyson Campbell's a really good year.

1034
00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:35,280
Speaker 2: He's a merging corner.

1035
00:45:35,600 --> 00:45:38,000
Speaker 1: But as you mentioned, cornerback is so you know this,

1036
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:39,680
Speaker 1: that was his third year. Last year.

1037
00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:44,080
Speaker 2: I often make fun of like the Rams defensive depth chart,

1038
00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:47,080
Speaker 2: which is really brutal right now, but if you look

1039
00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:50,160
Speaker 2: at the Jags secondary but outside of Campbell, it's a

1040
00:45:50,239 --> 00:45:50,880
Speaker 2: little frightening.

1041
00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:51,520
Speaker 1: Yea, a little bad.

1042
00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:53,160
Speaker 2: I'm surprised they didn't address that more.

1043
00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:55,200
Speaker 1: You wanted to see the Patriots.

1044
00:45:55,480 --> 00:46:01,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm thinking it's going to be bar More what's

1045
00:46:01,719 --> 00:46:04,120
Speaker 2: his face? The edge rusher who's a really good player,

1046
00:46:04,400 --> 00:46:05,440
Speaker 2: and Cayle Duggar.

1047
00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:08,759
Speaker 1: It is Matthew Judon ju is the name.

1048
00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:09,480
Speaker 2: I couldn't come up with it.

1049
00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:15,280
Speaker 1: Josh and Ramandre Stevenson. He's also considered. We're David Andrews

1050
00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:20,160
Speaker 1: a center, Mac Jones and Kyle Ducker Mac Jones major list. Yeah,

1051
00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:20,600
Speaker 1: that's not.

1052
00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:23,640
Speaker 2: Good and really didn't play well. I mean, whether it's

1053
00:46:23,680 --> 00:46:25,960
Speaker 2: his fault or not, I mean, he can't be one

1054
00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:27,600
Speaker 2: of your stars after what he did last year.

1055
00:46:27,640 --> 00:46:30,319
Speaker 1: Absolutely not, But that's it. I thought that interest list

1056
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:32,319
Speaker 1: was a thing. It flowed right into what we were

1057
00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:35,560
Speaker 1: talking about the Steelers defensive star power. We're gonna take

1058
00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:36,120
Speaker 1: another break.

1059
00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:37,640
Speaker 2: Kenny Picketts on that list next year.

1060
00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:39,520
Speaker 1: That's a good thing here. I mean, yeah, that's a

1061
00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:41,719
Speaker 1: good thing for you. We're gonna take a break. He

1062
00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:44,239
Speaker 1: is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lawlly. You're listening to

1063
00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:46,839
Speaker 1: a special edition of The Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio,

1064
00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:50,719
Speaker 1: live from the Steelers Ota Sessions here on the South Side.

1065
00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:53,560
Speaker 1: We'll be back with our number two right after this